Inking-pad.



N0. 721,474. PATENTE!) PEB. 2 4, 1903.

` R.l H. SMITH.

INKING PAD.

APPLIovrI-ON Humano. 1, 1902.

no nonni..

C17/'aa A UNiTED STATES PATENT @Friend RICHARD HALE SMITH, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

INKlNe-PAD.

.SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 721,474, dated February 24,1903.

l Application led December l, 1902. Serial No. 133,370. (No model.)

To @ZZ inkom t may concern:

Beit known that I, RICHARD HALE SMITH, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, and a resident of Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusettahave inven ted certain new and useful Improvements in Inking-Pads,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. v

This invent-ion relates to, improvements in inking-pads, and particularly to inking-pads which comprise a block or comparatively thin section of wood,l which by absorption and impregnation contains' sufficient ofV the inking material to be used and which by its bare upper-face presents the ink-yieldingsurface agaiust which the face of the rubber'stamp or type is directly brought.

An object of the invention is to provide and combine in an inking-pad the thin block of wood in such a manner that it may normally have contact on a Iayeror layers of felt or other suitable absorbent material contained in a box, tray, or case, providing to or for the thin-block of wood means whereby it maybe removed from the feltcontained receptacle without actual contact against the wood block by the fingers to enable a re'supplying of ink to the absorbent material in the bottom of the box; and another object ofthe invention is to provide a support for the block of wood, so that the latter may be removably disposed next tothe layer of felt and be unaffected by any shrinkage or expansion to the extent of becoming warped, whereby itstop ink-yielding surface would be otherwise than true and level. A f

The invention consistsin inking-pad devices made, combined, andarranged all substantially as hereinafter described, and set forthin the claims.

Reference is to be had tothe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective viewof the inking-pad as a-whole, showing the cover open and the wood and its support as elevated somewhat from the main portion of the box.Y Fig.

2 is a cross-sectional View as taken on the line 2 2, Fig. l, the pad beingfin its fully-closed condition. Fig. 3 is a partiallongitudinal sectional vi'ew of the'closed pad as taken on line 3 3, Fig. 1, and a partial rear elevation. Fig. 4 is a plan View of a portion of the wood block l vice therefor.

andv4 a preferred form of the supporting de- Fig. 5 is a crosssectional view of an inking-pad device constructed in laccordance with this invention, but embodying a modification as regards the means for removing the wood section.

Similar charactersof reference indicate correspondingparts in all the views.

In the drawings, A represents the boxfor receptacle, which may be of anysuitable form or design having a fitness to its purpose, and

in the bottomof the'box one 'or more layers of felt a or otherabsorbent material is pro- .vided, the Vsame having in the utilization of -the pad device a sufficient quantity of liquid or semiliquid ink supplied thereto.

B represents a thin block of wood, which, asa matter of greatpreference, 'is' produced with lthe areas of its topand bottom surfaces on the end of the grain of the' wood and for brevity maybe termed an end wood block. In the rectangular design of the padshown the rectangular end wood block is disposed within a metallic rectangular frame C, which is separate and removable from the box A, butadapted to rest upon the upper edge of the surroundingv and -upstandingwall ofthe box,ras shown in Figs. 2 and 3, andy the -area of the wood block, as clearly shown especially in Figs.V 2, 3, and 4, is slightly though positively and lmaterially less than the areaV of the opening within the rectangular frame, so thatV any increase in the area ofthe blockv by-expansion would not cause themarginal portions there'ofto become bound and cause the block to Warp or The thickness of the blockis :c Windy: greater than the thickness of the frame, and

the block is supported with its lower surface below the under surface of the frame so as to reach down to certain contact against the felt'in the botto'mof the box, and preferably the upper surface of the wood has its location slightly above the plane lof the upper surface of the frame. Metallic pins or studs ol penetrate the boundary portions of the metallic frame, preferably in the median longitudinal and transverse lines thereof, as indicated in the drawingsQthe inner extremities of these pins or studs entering for suitable supporting engagements into the edge portions of the wood bloclc,'and it is consid- IOO ered advantageous to have the pins pass through the lframe horizontally with a driving it, while their extremities protrude somewhat loosely into horizontal sockets f, (one of which is shown as of somewhat exaggerated diameter in Fig. 3,) bored in the wood somewhat farther than the length of entrance of the pins. Thus the wood block is floated7 within the frame, maintained level and flat irrespective of changes in atmospheric conditions, and while the frame rests upon the upper edge of the box the lower surface of the end wood block will be in contact upon the inked absorbent material@ in the bottom of the box, which serves as afeeder of ink to the wood, through the grain or pores of which a sufficient stamp-supplying quantity of ink is carried and is always available at the top of the block. To replenish ink in the absorbent material in the bot-tom of the box, the frame O may be raised without contact by the fingers against the ink-impregnated wood.

In practice the end wood block is impregnated with the ink previous to being provided in connection with the supporting device therefor and abox having the absorbent material in its bottom, the replenishment of ink to the top surface of the wood by capillary attraction from the ink-supply at the bottom being maintained and continued thereafter for an indefinitely protracted period, and a further quantity of ink may be provided in the bottom of the box from time to time as may be required.

It will be seen that instead of a continuous frame surrounding the block disconnected parts or pins may be provided to the block to accomplish the object which is carried out by the provision of the frame without departing from the spirit of my invention, and in Fig. 5 it is shown that the frame is dispensed with and studs d2 are driven firmly into edge portions of the wood block B and have out.

wardly-extended portions thereof accommodated within niches g, formed within the top surrounding Wall of the box, and thus, plainly, the block while in use may be disposed within the box with its bottom resting upon the layer ct of the felt or other absorbent material, so that the ink will be drawn from the latter upwardly through and to the top of the block, and yet by grasping one or more of the outwardly-projecting end portions of the pins the block may be bodily lifted without direct contact by the fingers thereagainst out from the box for the purpose of replenishing the absorbent layer a with a further quantity of ink.

Of course the pad-box and its cover, if one 6o is employed, may be made of other material than metal, as also might be the frame C, hereinabove referred to, the materials being a matter of selection and in no Way affectin the essentials of the invent-ion.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an inking-pad the combination with a box, adapted to hold liquid ink, a layer of yielding absorbent material therein, an inksaturated block of porous end wood resting thereon, and means for raising the 4block to permit replenishing the ink in the box.

2. In an inking-pad, the combination with a box, and a layer of absorbent material therein, of a frame supported upon the upstanding i walls of the box, a block of porous end wood having an area less than the opening within the frame, and having its upper and lower surfaces bare, located within the frame, and means for supporting the block within the frame.

3. In an inking-pad, the combination with a box, a layer of absorbent material therein, of a frame to be supported by the upstanding walls of the box, a block of porous end wood having an area less than the opening within the frame and having its upper and lowerisurfaces uncovered, and a series of pins entered through the boundary members of the frame and penetrating the edge portions of the wood block.

4. In an inking-pad, the combination with a box, of a block of porous end wood having a bare stamp-receiving surface, and having one or more studs engaged with and extending from marginal portions of the block and extending outwardly in opposite directions therefrom, and a layer of absorbent material in the bottom of the box.

5. In an inking-pad, the combination with a box, and a layer of absorbent material therein, of a frame removably supported on the upstanding walls of the box, a block of porous end wood having an area less than the opening within the frame, having itsupper and lower surfaces uncovered and having horizontal sockets within its edge portions, and pins entered through the several members of the frame, inwardly protruding and loosely engaging in said sockets in the block.

Signed by me at Springfield, Massachusetts, in presence of two subscribing witnesses. RICHARD HALE SMITH.

IOO

IIO

Witnesses:

ANNIE V. LEAHY, WM. S. BELLows. 

